A fight for custody of a 4-year-old boy turned deadly on the Upper East Side after a grandmother shot to death the mother of the boy before turning the gun on herself.
At approximately 9 a.m. on Friday, shots rang out between York Avenue and East End Avenue on East 88th Street, sending residents and pedestrians scrambling for cover. Marissa Galloway, 45, had reportedly just placed her 4-year-old son in the car and was putting his stroller in the trunk of the car when the boy's grandmother, 65-year-old Kathleen Leigh, approached.
Joseph Kenny, the NYPD's chief of detectives, told ABC7 that the grandmother, who was from Chicago, pulled out a 9mm Glock and shot Galloway in the head, then shot her again in the back as she lay in the street at the back of the vehicle.
READ MORE: 1-day-old baby found dead in home after medics noticed birthing injuries after mom in hospital
READ MORE: Sonya Massey’s son believes he spoke to cop who killed mom before shooting as he promised to ‘help’ her
She then reportedly turned the gun on herself and shot herself in the head. Leigh was pronounced dead on the scene, but Galloway was rushed to the hospital, barely alive. She later died at the facility from her injuries.
The unidentified 4-year-old was reportedly unharmed. People who were out and about in the neighborhood enjoying the sunny weather, many with baby strollers, ran for cover as the shots rang out. The shooting occurred near the entrance to Gracie Mansion.
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories.
Kenny later confirmed that the shooting was the result of a custody dispute. NYPD records obtained by ABC7 revealed that there have been at least five reports of domestic disputes between members of the family and two separate complaint reports filed.
Galloway had reportedly been fighting with the boy's father for custody of the child, and Leigh was reportedly the paternal grandmother of the boy.
Leigh had been living in New York City for about three years with family members, Kenny told ABC7, while Galloway was described as an experienced runner who had long been a track coach at Fordham University.
Fordham released a statement about the 45-year-old's death, stating that the community is "deeply saddened by the tragic death." She was reportedly an alumna of the university and also worked as a teacher in Westchester County.
Leigh was reportedly a retired Cook County probation officer. Galloway left behind a 1-year-old daughter unrelated to Leigh as well, it was reported, who was not at the scene at the time of the shooting.
The police reportedly found another gun in the tote bag on the sidewalk near Leigh and the gun she used to shoot Galloway and herself sitting next to her on the sidewalk. An investigation into the incident continues, but it's being listed as a murder-suicide.
Local New York City, NY
Most Popular
Comments / 0